Sierra Nevada Cycle #5; Chasing Pogačar

 For our last ride, we took on a truly epic route starting from Vélez de Benaudalla. This wasn't just a "spin"—it was a grueling 92 km loop that packed in a massive 2,053 meters of climbing (a new record for me).  We started the day with another brutal "Hors Catégorie" ascent: 15km of relentless climbing that finally leveled out at a beautiful, historic Spanish fort overlooking the valley. 

The scenery was incredible, but there was little time to rest as we moved deeper into the mountains toward Mondújar and Albuñuelas.  The day's biggest competitive test was the climb to Cañar, a legendary Category 1 ascent with a punishing average gradient of 7.2%. I gave it a solid effort, finishing the segment in 41 minutes. I had the Strava record in the back of my mind—held by Pogačar at a blistering 19 minutes—but as the gradient bit in, I realized I wasn't going to be anywhere near that pace today!We looped through the high-altitude villages of Soportújar and Pampaneira, reaching a peak elevation of 1,029 meters. It was a massive day of climbing through the heart of the Alpujarras, and easily one of the most rewarding (and exhausting) rides of the entire trip. 

The village only had one decent restaurant, which was so popular it had to be booked days in advance. Luckily, the owner of the bike rental shop was one step ahead and had already arranged a table for our final evening.

While looking through the wine list, I spotted something that immediately caught my eye: a wine called Rivendel. Since that is the name of our house back home, I knew I simply had to try it!